Unwholly

Title: Unwholly

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster (2012)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction

Length: 402 pages

Synopsis:  The second book in the Unwind trilogy, Unwholly continues the journey of Connor, Risa, and Lev, teens who went AWOL after being threatened with unwinding, a retroactive abortion that means all of their organs and tissues remain alive...as replacement parts for others.  As Connor struggles to keep his camp of AWOL unwinds safe despite the constant threat of discovery, Risa must come to terms with the injuries she sustained during her escape, and Lev's found himself the unintentional object of both violence and adoration.  More and more, however, the unwinds are beginning to realize that they are cogs in a much larger machine.  To have a hope of bringing it to a halt, they'll first have to discover who is running it.

My Rating: 5 Stars

My Opinion: 

This is a phenomenal series.  Start with the first book, Unwind, but be sure to have this sequel on hand.  It deserves every bit as much attention as The Hunger Games, though its controversial subject matter means it probably won't be hitting the big screen any time soon.  The world Shusterman's created seems eerily possible.  He paints a picture of a United States so bitterly divided that compromise becomes a matter of mutual discord rather than cooperation.  Given the recent behavior of the U.S. Congress, this seems less and less like fiction.  Interspersed with the narrative are clips from public service announcements and web searches, some of which were created for the book, but some of which are real!  I won't spend much time discussing the plot and structure of the novel itself; it's hard enough to avoid spoiling the first book in a series, but trying to discuss the second without giving anything away is nearly impossible.  I will say that despite the possible development of a Hunger Games-esque love triangle, Shusterman acknowledges that his characters are deeply complex and each has a multitude of motivations.  A possible exception is Starkey, an escaped unwind with ambitions of his own who seems a bit single-minded.  From religion to politics, commercialism to news media, and education to family dynamics, the scope of the culture Shusterman presents is broad and largely fair minded.  There is no black and white in this book.  Everything is an uncomfortable shade of grey, but it takes the idealism of youth to determine just where the line between right and wrong lies.  This is a spectacular book for story alone, but for readers willing to consider it a little more deeply will find plenty of food for thought.

The Hobbit- An Unexpected Journey: Official Movie Guide

Title: The Hobbit- An Unexpected Journey: Official Movie Guide

Author: Brian Sibley

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2012)

Genre(s): Nonfiction

Length: 167 pages

Synopsis:  From costumes to conflicts, this book contains a quick glimpse behind the scenes of the enormously popular new film The Hobbit- An Unexpected Journey.  The book provides brief interviews with cast members and film-makers as well as extensive photography, concept art, and insights into how the film was made.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion: 

Let me begin with an admission.  I am a nerd.  I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and just about any other fantasy I can get my hands on.  I love the books and, yes, I love the films.  The trick, in my opinion, is to acknowledge one as the inspiration for the other without expecting them to fit exactly the same mold.  I am not, however, about to spend my time in this review discussing either the inspiring novel or the resulting film, but as usual I'll keep away from any potential spoilers for either.  This book is a slick little publication designed to do exactly what it does: build and prolong the hype surrounding this long-awaited box office juggernaut.  Whether readers are fans of Tolkien's work, or director Peter Jackson, or just the glamor of movie magic, this is a fun escape.  There's really very little text in this lushly illustrated book; stills from the film share the pages with promotional photography, original concept art, and behind-the-scenes candid shots.  This is not an exhaustive, all-inclusive documentary.  Sibley's got an all but guaranteed worldwide audience of millions, so he could (and apparently did) pick and choose whatever topics of discussion he liked for this book without being too concerned about what he's included or what he's left out.  For those longing for more technical details, this is not the book for you.  On the other hand, for anyone caught up in the current hype and hoping for a little extra before the lengthy DVD bonus features come out, this is the perfect afternoon read.  Here's my advice.  Go see the film, then, if you're so inclined, take a look at this book.  And then, if you're anything like me, you just may want to go see the film again afterward.

Deadly

Title: Deadly

Author: Julie Chibbaro

Publisher: Antheneum Books for Young Readers (2011)

Genre(s): Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

Length: 287 pages

Synopsis:  Prudence Galewski didn't expect much more from life than a job as a typist or shopgirl.  That's what awaits her and all her classmates at Mrs. Browning's School for Girls, and, in 1906, that was typical.  Despite her expectations, Prudence is dreams of doing more with her life.  She watched her brother die of gangrene and her father ship off to war, never to return.  She longs to make a difference, to "get a job fighting death."  When she gets the chance to work as a secretary, typist, and assistant at the Department of Sanitation, she realizes her opportunity has come at last.  Together, she and her employer work to determine the cause of a recent outbreak of typhoid fever.  The closer they come to an answer, however, the more puzzling the case becomes.  All the cases seem to be related to a cook named Mary Mallon, but how can they convince a perfectly healthy woman that her very presence is deadly?

My Rating: 3 Stars

My Opinion: 

Though I may be flying in the face of general consensus, I was not really a fan of this book.  It earned the National Jewish Book Award in 2011 and the cover review blurb is from The New York Times.  Nonetheless, I was underwhelmed.  I am a fan of historical fiction, particularly this era.  I am currently pursuing my own Master's degree in epidemiology, so of course the subject matter was interesting.  It just... didn't click.  There are so many different facets to this novel-- Prudence's brother's death and her father's disappearance, her relationship with her mother and with a friend who moved away to Virginia, her schoolwork, her job with the Department of Sanitation.  And yet, none of them seem deeply interwoven.  Perhaps this is due to the view of Prudence's life through the pages of her diaries.  She describes events as she sees them and not as they relate to one another.  Accurate though this may be, it does not make for a deeply engaging read.  The historical aspects of this book are obviously well researched and well presented, but again, the scope is limited to Prudence's perceptions.  For readers unfamiliar with this period in history, there is little societal context presented beyond the disparate fragments of war, sanitation reform, and societal expectations for women.  As a public health professional myself, I was also a bit bemused by Chibbaro's choice of rebellious career for her protagonist.  Prudence's mother is a midwife and the field of nursing has always been dominated by women.  These would have been clear and respectable alternatives for Prudence if, as is evident so early on, she despises the idea of being a shopgirl.  Today, as a student of public health following in the modern equivalent of Prudence's footsteps, it is rather amusing for me to sit in classes that are 80% female, reading studies by women scientists and textbooks by women authors.  It's a field of science where women are not only permitted, but often predominate.  I do hope that this book inspires young women to pursue careers in their field of interest, whatever that may be, but if I were to recommend a book for that purpose, it wouldn't be this one.

Hidden

Title: Hidden

Author: Helen Frost

Publisher: Frances Foster Books (2011)

Genre(s): Realistic Fiction, Verse Novel

Length: 142 pages

Synopsis:  At eight years old, Wren Abbott was accidentally kidnapped in a car-theft gone wrong.  For two days she hides, unbeknownst to her kidnapper, in a cold garage, listening to the voices of the family on the other side of the garage door, including a daughter her own age, Darra.  When Wren escapes, she and Darra both believe they can set the whole thing behind them...until six years later they come face to face in Cabin Eight at Camp Oakwood.

My Rating: 5 Stars

My Opinion: 

I was most pleasantly surprised by this little book.  Instead of reading like a sparsely written prose novel, this book is like a novel with all the extras pared away.  Only the essence of the story are left.  The girls' voices are distinct and, though they don't know it, surprisingly similar.  They are reluctant to talk about their experience with one another and fear that their secret differences will somehow set them apart.  Instead, the past brings these girls together.  The book is a quick read, but clever in its construction.  The verse form is not distracting; instead, it makes their stories somehow more personal and immediate.  For anyone willing to take a step outside the world of prose, this makes the journey both easy and enjoyable.  After a first read through, Frost's notes on the form of the book open even further insights to both the story and the level of care with which it was crafted.

Pegasus

Title: Pegasus

Author: Robin McKinley

Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons (2010)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy

Length: 404 pages

Synopsis:  For more than seven hundred years, the Kings of the humans and pegasi have maintained the Alliance, the agreement that keeps both societies safe from the beasts of the surrounding wildlands.  Though the Alliance is strong, the relationship between such different cultures has always been difficult.  Even to speak to the pegasi people requires convoluted interpretation by human magicians.  Princess Sylvi, the fourth child of the King, is not particularly looking forward to doing her part to maintain the Alliance by being bonded to a pegasus prince.  On the day of the ceremony, however, something happens that changes the course of history and earns Sylvi both  powerful enemies and a closer friend than she could imagine: she and her pegasus can talk.

My Rating: 3 Stars

My Opinion: 

It hurts me to say this, but this book was not very good.  Robin McKinley is one of my very favorite writers and I wanted to like this book.  It’s been on my to-read list for ages.  But… I was disappointed.  I would suggest that perhaps my expectations were too high, but not a single one of McKinley’s books has ever disappointed me before, and certainly not as badly as this one did.  It felt as though it had not been properly edited; sentences seemed to be missing words or had gained words that made no sense.  The story flits back and forth between the main plot line and contributing scenes until I wasn't sure where one ended and the other began.  The concept is difficult.  The pegasi are not human, but do represent a sentient society.  Unfortunately, as alien as they are, their society seems forced into a human mold.  It doesn't seem to be a naturally developed culture; part of this comes from the issue of interpretation.  So much of this story revolves around the inability to speak to and understand the pegasi.  This translates as an inability to speak to the reader.  It's confused and meandering.  The past is as important as the present, but combining these two story lines only further muddles the tale.  The characters are, eventually, engaging.  By the end of the book, I can almost recognize McKinley's signature ease of storytelling.  Though it leaves the reader on a cliffhanger ending, I won't be adding the sequel to my reading list.  This is not representative of McKinley's body of work, and she remains one of my favorites.  I'm just not sure what went so wrong with this particular novel.

Ash

Title: Ash

Author: Malinda Lo

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (2009)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales, Gay/Lesbian Interest

Length: 264 pages

Synopsis:  Aisling, nicknamed Ash, lives in a kingdom where the tradition of magic is as deep as the roots of the mysterious and wild Wood.  Ash’s mother trained with the local greenwitch in the old ways of magic, and though her husband thinks her fairy-tales are folly, after his wife’s death, he still brings returns home from merchant business with books of fantastical stories for Ash.  When Ash is left in the care of her unfeeling stepmother and more alone than she has ever been before, she turns more and more to her books, the both the fairy tales her father gave her and the little herbal journal written by her mother.  She finds comfort in these “rustic beliefs,” as her stepmother calls them, but even Ash cannot quite believe it when she begins to develop a friendship with a fairy called Sidhean.  He is a strange, dangerous, and fascinating being, and Ash’s only link to her beloved mother.  But when Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, she begins to realize that it may be possible for her to love, and be loved, again.  Sidhean’s powers hold the key that could let her escape her stepmother, but among the fairies there is always a price to pay for magic.  The closer she comes to happiness, the more Ash begins to wonder what price she will have to pay for love.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Opinion: 

This is a truly elegant retelling.  It is easily recognizable as a Cinderella story, but none of the conventions are forced into place.  Those that are used fall naturally in the course of the story, and those that are left out are not missed.  The unique twists to this retelling are also logical extensions of the story as it develops, so that by the end it seems that perhaps this version of the story has always existed alongside its better known cousin.  The end is somewhat troubling, however.  As promised, I won’t spoil it for readers, and I do certainly recommend it for fans of fantasy and fairy tales.  While Lo has created dangerously unpredictable fairy characters more reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm than Disney, Ash’s escape from Sidhean’s influence seems to resolve itself a little too easily.  Where the relationship between Kaisa and Ash explores the more tender aspects of love, Sidhean represents a darker side.  Though the threat he represents is real and quite frightening, that particular storm dissipates with nothing but a grumble of thunder.

The Eleventh Plague

Title: The Eleventh Plague

Author: Jeff Hirsch

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. (2011)

Genre(s): Young Adult Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

Length: 278 pages

Synopsis:  For Stephen Quinn, death is a daily occurrence.  He was born in the years after the Collapse, the international conflict that ended with the release of P-11, a deadly plague that wiped out most of the American populace.  Stephen and his family were salvagers, gathering bits of the past to trade, held together by the military discipline of his grandfather.  But the world is a cruel, harsh place, as Stephen’s grandfather reminds him on a daily basis.  Before long, Stephen finds himself alone, forced to make his own decisions.  When he comes across the town of Settler’s Landing, it all seems too good to be true— stable families, houses, medicine.  His grandfather’s voice whispers incessantly, “No one does anything for free.”  But Stephen is on his own now.  Can he risk everything he’s known for a life in Settler’s Landing?  More importantly, can he afford not to?

My Rating: 3 Stars

My Opinion: 

This is not typical post-apocalyptic literature.  For books like The Hunger Games, The Road, even  Brave New World, the very post-apocalyptic-ness of the world acts more as a character than a setting.  It is crucial, shaping   The Eleventh Plague is post-apocalyptic in the sense that the disasters that stripped away the world as we know it are truly in the past.  Stephen is a member of the first generation that has known only this new world, and for him the Collapse is only a story his parents told.  He lives with its realities every day, of course, and the story would not function without its setting, but this book lacks the political commentary of others in this genre.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  Without satirical or cynical overtones, the narrative here focuses on Stephen and his conflicts with the world, both internal and external.  The voices of his role models ring loudly in his ears even after the voices themselves are stilled.  His desire for change is obvious, but time and again he falls back on the familiar in a very believable way.  It becomes a very relatable coming-of-age story in a very possible, if somewhat grim, future.  But, alas, this genre has become so popular of late that The Eleventh Plague falls victim to its own uniqueness.  It doesn’t have the visceral impact of its fellows or the escapism provided by fantastically unrecognizable worlds.  By these expectations it falls short, and though Stephen is believable and relatable, as a coming-of-age story, it is not particularly unique.  It is well written and a solid story, but, overall, not exceedingly remarkable.